Find an Internship

Regardless of whether you know exactly what type of internship you want but you’re not certain how to find it, or you know you want an internship but you’re uncertain about what to look for and how to find it, we’re here to assist.

Students often ask how long it takes to find an internship. Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Are you looking for a summer internship or a fall or spring opportunity? With regard to summer internships, you typically can wait until the spring semester to begin your search in earnest, but for certain fields (traditionally journalism and some publishing), you need to be aware of internship deadlines starting in the fall semester. What’s your best bet? Meet with a career counselor early to find the latest information about internships in your career field of interest.

Before performing a search, start off by either defining your learning goals for the summer or, for those of you who know what you want to do, check out the substantial array of internship resources offered by the CDC.

• Campus Recruiting: Each spring, Brown brings a variety of employers to campus to recruit summer interns. Many career fields are represented, with this recruitment taking place from January through April. View and apply for these opportunities on Brown Career Connection, and also take note of when employers are hosting information sessions for students. These sessions are a great opportunity to network with hiring managers in a slightly more relaxed environment. Be sure to come to the spring career fair to meet employers as well!
• Off Campus Recruiting: Additional employers looking for Brown interns also post positions throughout the spring semester, on Brown Career Connection. Interviews are traditionally done over the phone, with a second round (potentially) taking place on-site at the organization.
• Summer Experience Database: Brown students who have interned in the past have shared the details of their experiences with you through this helpful database. Search by many fields including employer name, student’s concentration, career field, and more! There are over 700 opportunities listed within this database – use it to generate ideas for where to intern, or to locate the ideal opportunity.
• Consortiums and Links:
  • UCAN Internship Exchange is a consortium of which Brown is a member. Through this affiliation, Brown students have access to over 2000 opportunities posted by employers affiliated with the 19 consortium schools.
  • Internships USA—A wide ranging source of internships used by colleges and universities throughout the country. Internships posted here are usually long-running annual opportunities. Contact the CDC or check out our Internship Tip Sheet for the current username and password.
  • Going Global—Search international internships and read information about the various countries in which you could find experiential opportunities.

For more links to internship databases check out our Internship Resources Tip Sheet and our Resources page.

Have you gone through these steps and still haven’t found the right internship? Check out the Independent Internship Search section of the website for more information and help developing a strategy.